Vrooms, Brooms, & Heirlooms

Witchy Business Mysteries #1

by Maddy Savanna

The last time witchy car mechanic Victoria Fox did magic, she nearly blew up half a street. Oops. No more magic for her, but is a witch who doesn’t do magic still a witch?

Well, she does have a kitty familiar named Professor Studmuffin Salvitore III. She also has a knack for inviting magical trouble to her shop’s doorstep.

Like her business rival who shows up and offers her a deal. A tempting deal, but she shuts the door in his face anyway. Moments later, his star employee drops dead.

All roads lead to Victoria as the murderer. The problem? She didn’t do it. The other problem? Almost no one believes her.

It’s now up to her and her kitty familiar to prove she’s innocent. Tiptoeing closer to the truth could put them both in danger though. And it might just take a lead paw on the gas pedal to get them out.

Genres: Paranormal, Mystery, Fantasy, Cozy, Ebooks, Witches, Vampires

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 3, 2022

Reviews

[Amber K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute, cozy paranormal mystery with terrific audio narration. The story was light, fun, and enjoyable to listen to!

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vrooms, Brooms, and Heirlooms is book in Maddy Savanna’s Witchy Business Mysteries, and this is a book you’re not going to want to miss. This paranormal cozy mystery is packed with mystery, humor, drama, danger, and a hint of blossoming romance. You’re going to love these characters and enjoy the mischief that impacts their lives.
What’s a girl to do when all she wants to do is run her mechanic shop with her friend Boxy, and her delightful familiar Professor Studmuffin Salvatore III, but is suspected of murder? She was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time telling “He Who Only Comes Out at Night” no in connection to her buying Speedy Zone from him. Now, she’s caught up in a murder where it appears someone is out to make sure she takes the fall.
This book is one of those novels that will grab you from the beginning and keep you page-turning to the end. Vic is a dyslexic witch, and because of her dyslexia she’s hesitant to try her magic because of a bit of a blow-up years before when she misread a word and the spell backfired. She’s a whiz of a mechanic, but her familiar is the only who does any real magic. I mean, he makes desserts, coffee, and tea with zero-calories! Studmuffin is an absolute delight and I’m willing to bet he’ll be your favorite character by the end of the novel.
The mystery is thick in this book as Vic tries to work quickly to discover who is trying to frame her for murder, and what exactly it is that would drive them to murder. I enjoyed this book so much. It is so engaging and absolutely kept me entertained.
If you’re looking for a novel that will keep you page-turner, surprise you with the culprit, and throw in quite a few twists then this is the book for you. I’m rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I can’t wait to read what happens next in this series.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vrooms, Brooms, and Heirlooms by Maddy Savanna is a paranormal cozy mystery that had a strange comedic appeal. I normally am not enthralled by over-the-top quirkiness, but it seemed a little different in this case. Vic (Victoria) is a witch, a non-practicing witch to be sure. Her familiar is a stray cat that has adopted her named Professor Studmuffin Salvitore III. He has many talents, not the least of which is that he is a superb baker. To round out the trio, we have Boxy, who is a sixty-year-old, one-eyed ninja. The three of them run Sunray's Auto Shop, a place where not only mechanical problems can be dealt with but also spells that have been put on cars. Today her competition has called upon her, Travis, also known as He Who Only Comes Out At Night, with a proposition for her. He wants to sell her his shop, Speedy Zone and he has brought the paper work. This visit starts a contentious relationship, including murder.

It was a little tough to follow at first, but came around quickly. As many cozies, Vic became an investigator because she was first a suspect. The murder happened when she went to Speedy Zone to return Travis' papers. She was innocent, but being the competition didn't help. Things happened quickly, all quirkier than the one before it. Savanna included all manner of oddness in her story, dyslexia, flying cats, a car named Bernadette, magic rings, and on and on. It was light and fun despite the topic and reading one of this series no often might weigh on a person, one now and then is a refreshing change. I enjoyed it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Vroom, Brooms, and Heirlooms by the author, through Cozy Mystery Review Crew. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #cozymysteryreviewcrew #maddysavanna #vroomsbroomsandheirlooms

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It was so much fun but also had some intense parts. Victoria is the owner of Sunray's Auto Shop. She works with Boxy the ninja and her familiar with the coolest name Professor Studmuffin Salvitore III, who bakes the desserts for the customers. Victoria is a witch who doesn't practice her magic because she scared her disability would interfere with the spells.
Her shop is the best in town and can fix anything wrong with your car. Her only competition is Speedy Zone owned by He Who Only Comes Out At Night aka Travis Black. Now I had to cracking up. He pays her a visit asking if she wants to buy his shop, and she can think on it. This makes her angry because their is bad blood between their families. His father stole the business from her father. So she goes over there to give back the contract back. This is where she discovers a dead body and she knows the cops are going to look at her as a suspect so she decides to find out who did do it.
This book did have a little romance thrown in. Travis was interested in her and so is the detective on the case.
I can't wait for the next book because I want to find out more about the town and the paranormal who live there. Also who is going to win her heart.
I voluntarily agreed to review this book. My review is my own honest opinion.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in a new series and I can't wait for more! We are treated to a paranormal mystery with great characters, lots of laughs, a family feud, a main character dislexic witch Victoria Fox, who can't control her powers and blew up half a street, a familiar, Professor Studmuffin Salvatore III, who seems to rule the roost, but is dedicated to his witch, a one eyed ninja worker friend, Boxer, a possible romance, and so much more! Being in the wrong place at the wrong time has Victoria a suspect in the murder of a worker in her competition car repair business. It is the car repair business that Vic's father had built but the father of the owner now has become her competition. Can Victoria clear her name, join a coven to learn how to control her powers, get along with the owner of her competition and just repair the cars that come to her for help? Since becoming a suspect, she has lost all business so clearing her name and finding the real murderer through lots of red-herrings and twists and turns, help from her familiar, and a surprise at the ending keeps you turning pages. I really like this first book in the series and want more. I received an ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was slow at first but picked up after the first chapter. It was different and unexpected. I enjoyed the way the book characters came together and that the people are relatable even though they are of a different form. Love Victoria Fox the main character because like us all, she is still trying to find her place in the world. I don't think she will find it, I think it will find her.
All she wants is to make her family business great because of the near ruin her Dad faced because of his business partner. Business is going well until there was a murder and her name shows up as number one suspect. Now no business and a chance at going to prison makes Victoria go searching for the real killer. It's the least expected person and they have a co conspirator that shocks them all. Yep, I think you will like this book.
I also believe a romance is in the making and it's not with the male rival but someone else coming in play near the end of the book. I can hardly wait to read the next book to see if I am right or what. I really enjoyed this book.

[Meesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't imagine blowing up half a city block because I read the words wrong! I have to agree with Val, I wouldn't have touched the grimoire for 17+ years either. With no one to teach her the ways of the witch Val depended on her vibrant familiar, Professor Studmuffin Salvitore III, to help her along on her journey. It doesn't hurt that he's a fantastic baker!! When a murder happens and her business goes into the dumps because the murderer framed her, Val needs to figure out what is going on before she loses the best auto mechanic shop in the town due to no business.
I really enjoyed this book and got a few more chuckles than gasps out of it. I kind of had an idea of who the killers were but not the reasoning why they decided to kill. I agree with why in the end but don't think I could bring myself to actually do it. This is a very easy read and hard to put down. The characters are very interesting and I definitely recommend this book. I am excited to see what happens to Val, Studmuffin, Boxy and all the rest of the characters in the next book of the series.

[Kara Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great start to a new paranormal cozy mystery series. I really like the main character of Victoria, a young witch with dyslexia who had previously given up on developing her powers when she made a disastrous mistake doing a spell, due to misreading the spell. She’s a spunky owner of a car repair shop and very competent in that endeavor. When a murder occurs and she’s a suspect, she goes into amateur detective mode to solve the crime. I enjoyed solving the mystery with her and her possible new beau. The setting is quite original and the secondary characters are also well fleshed out. I can definitely recommend this book and am eager to read the next book in the series. I was provided an arc, but these opinions are my own.

[Perrin Larton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! A dyslexic witch who decided to not use her powers due to an unfortunate spell! Who knew reading the wrong word would cause that much trouble! Lots of background on car mechanic Victoria Fox and her feline familiar Professor Studmuffin, and a whole group of quirky associates since this is the first book in this new series.

Now there is a murder and Vic is one of the suspects. Lots of hijinks and just plain fun as the mystery unfolds. It wasn't difficult to figure out 'who dun it', but the twists and turns with the WHY was interesting.

Can't wait to read the next in this series. Sit down and enjoy a bit of witchy fun!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first in a new, delightful paranormal mystery series. Vic is the owner of Sunray's Auto Shop, which she runs with the help of her co-manager, Boxy, a sixty-something one eyed ninja. Vic herself is a witch, but because of her dyslexis, she hasn't learned any magic. She recently acquired a familiar, however, an adorable tom cat named Professor Studmuffin Salvitore III, who contributes to the shop with his magical dessert baking...complete with no calories, but smelling and tasting divine. When a mechanic in the competitive auto shop, Speedy Zone, is murdered, Vic becomes the prime suspect. She needs to pull out all the stops to convince the police she is innocent, even if this means finding the killer herself. I loved the main characters in this story, and I know we can look forward to more interesting stories with them in the future. Toward the end of the story, they introduced another witch character, Cass, and I hope she becomes a regular in the next story. Disclosure: I am voluntarily reviewing this book and all opinions are strictly my own.

[Pamela Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read and wonderful start to the Witchy Business Mysteries by new-to-me author Maddy Savanna with a great cast of characters, paranormal elements, and a must-solve mystery that kept me entertained and unable to put the book down from the first page to the last word. I really liked witchy car mechanic Victoria Fox and enjoyed her dynamic with everyone especially her kitty familiar who baked calorie free goodies. If you enjoy fun cozy mysteries you will love Vrooms, Brooms and Heirlooms. I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The debut novel in a new series Vrooms, Brooms and Heirlooms is a wonderful new heroine with a familiar with unusual powers. Are you a witch if you don't use your powers? Vic is deciding to use her powers and meets some new friends along the away. With her familiar and her ninja, Vic's adventure is the start to what promises to be a fun new series.

[Emmalynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, fun book, EXCEPT for what appears to be the makings of a love triangle 😡🙄🙄🙄ughhh way to ruin an otherwise good story. The mystery is good, the characters are fun, and the interactions between Victoria and her familiar Studmuffin are 👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victoria is a dyslexic witch and the one time she tried a spell she read a word wrong and just about blew up the neighborhood. She's now a non practicing witch. Her familiar, a cat named Professor Studmuffin Salvitore III, bakes zero calorie desserts for her customers at Sunray's, an auto body shop that she runs with Boxy aka Ninja. Travis, manages Speedy Zone that used to be owned by both their dads, and wants to sell it back to her but a murder happens and complicates things.

It's a fun and easy read and I can't wait to see what the crew in Belle's Cove are up to next.

[Beth Medrano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that the main character is a girl who works on cars. And has a reading disability. And that her first spell blew up a block. I didn’t see the twist in the end. It was a great read. Looking forward to the next book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun read

The first adjective that came to mind as i finished the story was "adorable!" I love these characters and I'm looking forward to more adventures with them, too!

The premise was more original than most cozies, and that added to my reading pleasure.

Recommended!

[Josephine P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dive into a unique take on the paranormal with Vrooms, Brooms & Heirlooms by Maddy Savanna. With its quirky and unusual main protagonist, and its expanding reach into the world of otherworldly beings, this story provides plenty of humour, mishaps and a little bit of mayhem!

Any book told in first person narrative is always a win for me as I feel as if I’m actually walking beside the character in question. Furthermore, our heroine, Victoria Fox, is an extremely likeable and relatable individual; her natural tendency to doubt herself and the feistiness when faced with any barriers, makes her just like your or I. Her career of choice as a car mechanic is also different to any other novel I’ve read before and as such, I felt she was quite an inspiring leading lady. The secondary characters in the book, Boxy, the astute co-owner of her business, and Travis, her intriguing business rival, are also just as well-written and much like the rest of the book, will draw you in and win you over. I even slowly warmed up to her familiar (I must say, I’m still not quite convinced by his name: despite being unusual and in keeping with the story, it just didn’t seem to quite work for me although I can see others loving it) as the novel wore on!

Interestingly, the author chooses to launch a variety of paranormal beings at us as we work our way through the chapters but rather than this being confusing, it actually hints at what is to come over the course of the series which is certainly a plus in my books: I was definitely left wanting to read the subsequent novels to find out about ninjas and vampires. I also like how Maddy subtly referenced these other paranormal individuals and how ordinary humans were party aware of their comings and goings.

Initially, the book cover didn’t quite appeal to me and I wasn’t quite hooked by the first few chapters but as the novel wore on, I found my first perceptions to be proven quite wrong. To begin with, the quirkiness is a little overbearing but it soon grows on you and it really does fit the style of the author and the characters themselves. Billed as a cozy mystery, the story does quickly reach the ‘whodunnit’ plot line as promised and whilst there was certainly plenty of clues and red herrings littered throughout the story, I felt that some of the suspects weren’t investigated quite as much as they could have been. Having said that, I was still left guessing until the end. Victoria as a main character doesn’t take herself too seriously, allowing for lots of slight mishaps that will leave you with a smile on your face.

The Book Dragon has had the opportunity to review this book on behalf of the author and was pleasantly surprised to find that despite a slightly bumpy start, Maddy Savanna really has produced an excellent little light read. With this in mind, we award the novel 4 stars.

by Josephine Park
Lead Reviewer, Children's & Young Adult's Fiction
https://www.thebookdragon.co.uk

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

a young witch with dyslexia has had some challenges

her mother left when she was young. her father was off on an extended around the world honeymoon . she managed to blow up half a block when she misread s word in a spell

trying to hang onto her family legacy, the Sunray auto shop, she is approached by the son of an old family foe

What follows is murder- and Victoria is a witness. Their small town is determined to stay away from her struggling shop, though she id not a strong suspect

Her odd but very capable baking cat Studmuffin is an amazing and supportive familiar. are his skills enough to help Victoria survive, and maybe avoid being unjustly punished?

hilarious hijinks, poignant insights, wild and witchy action

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ann Bingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read if you like witch mysteries

A lonely witch and her familiar running a garage with the help of a family friend. All is well until the son of the man who stole her fathers business out from under him. He asks her if she is interested in buy Speedy Zone , her competition and the shop that should've been her fathers. Of course she says No, but he insists she think it over. But when she goes to tell He'll No, something bad happens. She opens the door to the garage and finds a dead man. She sees a woman in a yellow jacket running out the back door. The police arrive and the investigation begins, with her as a suspect. Can she prove her innocence? Will her business survive, since no one seems to trust her?

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who Killed Jake Williams . . .

Witch car mechanic Victoria has a kitty familiar named Professor Studmuffin Salvitore III. She also tends to attract trouble, such as the day Travis, her business rival at Speedy Zone shows up to offer her a deal. Vic’s dad had started Speedy Zone with Marcus Black, Travis’s dad, who then stole from the company. So with Travis offering her a deal to buy his shop when it should have been her dad’s shop anyway, she lost her temper and kicked him out. Shortly after, Jake Williams, his star employee, drops dead and the police are looking at Victoria as the murderer. With the help of her familiar, Studmuffin, can she clear her name and find the real killer?

[Spinneretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

Victoria is a mechanic, and a witch who knows nothing about being a witch! Alongside her familiar Studmuffin, she’s quite happy with her life, that is until she becomes a suspect in the murder of an employee at the rival mechanics in town.

All sorts of mishaps ensue as Victoria and Studmuffin start to investigate, with the help of the attractive owner of that rival mechanic’s business…

An enjoyable paranormal mystery with a weird witch, her adorable and amazing familiar, and the friends and found family she has made along the way.
This one is worth reading if only for the hijinks of Studmuffin alone- he’s definitely the star of the show!

[Deb Barringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vrooms, Brooms and Heirlooms, by Maddy Savanna, is such a fun, quirky, paranormal murder mystery that, once you start, you won't be able to put it down. The storyline is fast-paced and very well written, filled with magic and mayhem, twists and turns, murder, intrigue, subterfuge, humor and a little romance potential. The characters are well developed and engaging. Studmuffins is absolutely captivating, quickly becoming my favorite character. Overall, a great start to a new series. Can't wait to read book 2 to see what happens next!

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vrooms, Brooms &Heirlooms (Witchy Business Mysteries Book 1

A wonderfully written series introduction with vibrant, colorful and quirky characters both human, witches, vampires and furry four legged friends or Familiars. With a murderous mystery and a plot that keeps you turning page after page until you've reached the unexpected and climatic conclusion. That's why I have read this mystery twice. Acquire " Vrooms, Brooms & Heirlooms " today so you yourself can enjoy it as much as I have. Kat

[Barrie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing read

Not your usual witchy murder mystery, yes there's murder, and yes there are witches but mainly there's lots of action humor, mystery even a little romance all mixed with brilliant characters and attention grabbing storylines that are so well written you won't be able to put this one down. Oh and look out for what's got to be the greatest witch familiar ever. Highly recommended for fans of this genre, Baz.

[Doty Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a start of a new series, so there are some introductions for the roles of the charators that you fall in love with, as this adventure starts with a bang, Hold on, you will find it hard to put down, you will meet friends,frenemies, allies, the not telling the whole truthers and liars. As it gets put together
and the story unfolds in a twisted, whodunnit fashion, you will guess who did what so many times till the final end! I love adventures like this one. Can't wait for the next one.

[Sharon M. Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vic and the Professor

Victoria and her cat ran a car repair garage. The other garage in town was owned by an old enemy. Suddenly the owner of the other garage wants her to buy him out. Vic goes to his business to tell him that no way would she buy back something that should belong to her anyway. While there she witnesses a murder and becomes suspect number one. From there on she works hard to prove herself innocent. Magic is heavily involved. Enjoy this adventure!

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fun and funny read.
It was much different than other witchy mysteries, definitely didn't take itself to seriously and that made me enjoy it even more.

The diversity of the different paranormals kept things interesting.

The mystery itself was actually pretty good, it surprised me.

The writing was well thought out yet casual.

Super fast paced, it held my attention and never let go.

Off to read the next book in the series!

[monacia williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome to the town where quirkiness is a part of life

Great characters. Victoria is a charm, cocky, independent, unfazed by life's knocks. Her familiar, definitely out of this world. I stopped trying to wrap my head around the magic that was happening in the book, realizing that it had been woven so intricately into the
story that it was now acceptable.

I really enjoyed reading this book.

[Ronda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got this one for free from The Fussy Librarian newsletter and didn't want to put it down. A dyslexic non-practicing witch/auto mechanic, a one-eyed ninja on a cane, a baking familiar with a wonderful name and a lot of ehat I think of as ADD humor led me to order the next book before I even came here to write about this one.

[Tess Ailshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great premise - dyslexic witch (when she read a word wrong in a spell, she blew up half a block!) who owns an auto-repair shop - but somehow it fell flat to me. The entire story fell flat in my eyes.

I generally prefer stories such as this where the back stories come out gradually throughout the retelling, so I can't point to what it was that made this one one of my "meh" reactions.